a little personal but...

The more fiber you eat the fuller you feel and therefore less you will want to binge eat. Fiber helps to clear your digestive tract but you must drink lots of water too as the fiber soaks up the water and then helps you to poop. increase your fiber gradually though otherwise you may end up with gas. Try eating wholegrains, veggies and fruit these have a lot of fiber.

Sarah, personal trainer and nutrition coach

A moderate amount of fiber = good

A LOT of fiber (i.e. Metamucil pigout) = bad

The converse of what we think, too much fiber can cause constipation, gas, and digestive strife. Dietary fats, moderate fiber (I recommend flax), and plenty of liquid (water, or warm herbal tea - NOT laxative tea) will usually perform miracles. If something a little heavier is needed, try 1 tsp of epsom salt added to a glass of 8-10 oz lukewarm water. Drink...and be near a bathroom.

Edit: oh yes, and also a magnesium tablet will help.

Im booked in to go on Monday, but I have been suffering with IBS for the past 10 years, and I have been told by lots of people it helps that. But if it is just a temporary thing, I would go with the advise to up your fibre and water. New ways of eating take a while to get used to and your body needs time to adjust.

I would also go the natural route and try to increase fiber.

Unfortunately, unexplained bowel problems are very common and it is unusual that fibre will 'fix' it. Aim for 25-30g fibre per day (going over will just add more bulk and worsen the problem) and drink loads of water. Sometimes people find that exercising in the morning helps. Also, a hot drink first thing in the morning - instant coffee is particularly effective - can really help.

It's interesting that people recommend magnesium supplements... I would never do that but we do take people off them if they are having diarrhoea because one of the side-effects is stomach upset - so not sure if this is the 'solution' you are after.

I'm glad someone brought this up.

I am never quite "regular" and am looking for ways to help with that.

I take fiber supps and eat plenty of fruits and veggies and lots of water but it still doent quite do the trick.

I was wondering if anyone has tried activia?

I hate yogurt and hate even more to waste the calories on something I dont like but if it will work, I would goive it a shot.

I eat Activia "FIBER - Strawberries & Cereal" and I do like it and I think it does work. I eat one everyday (Mon - Fri usually) as my midmorning snack to help me hold over until lunch and I think it does work.

I also used Cascara Sagrada tablets for some time but the bottle says it shudnt be used for more than 1 week so I stopped. Very effective tho.

There is an over the counter product called Align that is a probiotic capsule. Same active ingredients as yougurt, but no calories. And don't feel bad, I'm eating enough fiber to founder a horse and drinking enough water to kill a fish and the, uh, log truck still won't dump...I feel ya!:sad:

I don't recommend the Senna teas for long term use... but certainly if you need a little boost to go... I wouldn't hesitate to use it. I've used the Smooth Move tea and it does work.

When my son was having problems (MAJOR PROBLEMS) the doctor put him on Miralax. You can now buy it over the counter. It's safe to take every 2-3 hours until your produce a movement. My son was on it for a little over a year and it helped him to retrain his bowels to "go".

Drink a lot of water. If you can't do water... find some liquid that you can get enough of... I keep herbal teas and crystal light on hand for times when I need to drink a large amount.

Avoid fiber from "products" and stick to fiber that comes from veggies and fruits... it's my experience that my body handles it much better.

Fat... add a little extra "good fat" to your diet... nuts, avacadoes, olive oil... it helps!

As for colonics/cleanses? It's not my preference and I'd only do it if my doctor recommended it as a necessary treatment.

Hope you feel better soon!!!

"There is an over the counter product called Align that is a probiotic capsule. Same active ingredients as yougurt, but no calories. And don't feel bad, I'm eating enough fiber to founder a horse and drinking enough water to kill a fish and the, uh, log truck still won't dump...I feel ya! "

Thanks for that!!

Not personal at all... I've found the old addage 'Input, Output' to be true... if you are eating LESS, you will go LESS. If you are eating healthy foods, your body will use more of it too!!!

Hi, I actually did a total body cleanse.. What a waste of money.. I am not regular at all so I thought, hey, what a way to jump start... Boy was I wrong.. It did not help.. So I decided to circular file that system and started to substitute my regular whole grain breads and cereals for Fiber one 100% whole wheat breads, fiber one cereals... I have been getting more than 100% of my required fiber intake and I feel great! Save the money on the cleansers and try these.. They are awesome! my opinion only of course.. Lots of water too...Good luck..

A moderate amount of fiber = good

A LOT of fiber (i.e. Metamucil pigout) = bad

The converse of what we think, too much fiber can cause constipation, gas, and digestive strife. Dietary fats, moderate fiber (I recommend flax), and plenty of liquid (water, or warm herbal tea - NOT laxative tea) will usually perform miracles. If something a little heavier is needed, try 1 tsp of epsom salt added to a glass of 8-10 oz lukewarm water. Drink...and be near a bathroom.

Edit: oh yes, and also a magnesium tablet will help.

Wow, we must totally think so much alike!!! We both said pretty much the same thing.............

I see that people are pushing too much fiber and I fear that it will worsen the issue the original poster is already having. When your constipated already, adding more fiber is just going to make matters worse...........

I would rather rely on water, fats and whatever fiber I get from the veggies I eat and I am very regular. No issues at all.

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I see that people are pushing too much fiber and I fear that it will worsen the issue the original poster is already having. When your constipated already, adding more fiber is just going to make matters worse...........


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Im glad people are recognizing this. I have alot of digestive health issues. And too much fiber WILL make it worse unless supplemented with TONS of water (im talking like a gallon)... When i went to my dr. he said not to over do it with the fiber and when it gets really bad to put miralax in my water before bed for a few nights and see if it helps. However, I would try the natural stuff (ie: magnesium) & water before trying anything else